When you get a shot does your arm start hurting?

It might feel like a little pinch then a little throbbing, but not too much. It usually hurts only a bit more than a mosquito bite, but less than a bee sting when the needle goes in.

Since you put this question in the topic category of H1N1/09, you are possibly asking if a flu shot will make your arm hurt, and the answer is yes, it can. Most people have a slight local reaction to the vaccination, and if you get it in your arm, it can be very sore to the touch and also hurt when you use your arm.

The best thing to help it get better faster is to move your arm by using it as usual. Some people ask specifically to have the shot put in their dominate arm (right handed or left handed) to "make" themselves have to use it, even when it hurts, because they know that will make it better faster. It should be better in a matter of just a few days, unless you aren't using it much, so if it hurts longer than a week, you should check with your health care provider to be sure there is not a local infection from the needle or other unusual side effect.